OIT Self Service

Ad Hoc Data Browser Tool

Overview

Provide a common tool for self-service retrieval of data from the university’s numerous data repositories. Provide a common location for shared data queries. Encourage collaboration on tool use.

The current tool is TOAD Data Point, Basic Edition, by Quest Software, Inc. See vendor website for tips, tricks and complete product info.

Service Users

UA Faculty, Staff, Students, and department-endorsed affiliates.
UA students and faculty have unlimited academic use of the entire family of TOAD tools. Academic use software is downloaded from the TOAD World Academic Website.

Requirements

Access to a computer that can run the Microsoft Windows workstation operating system. Installer is located on a password protected file server on the university’s computing network, so connection to the university’s computing network is required to install the tool.

Basic understanding of relational database structure and working understanding of structured query language, SQL. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sql and you can learn more about SQL and databases using a university arranged online learning resource such as Atomic Learning or Skillsoft.

Rates

User licenses for TDP Basic (aka Toad) are available at no cost to end users.

UA has 50 TDP Professional licenses available. Additional TDP Professional or TDP Premium licenses are available for purchase directly from DLT Solutions, Inc. A January 2013 UA quote indicated that TDP Professional costs $1,000.

Get Started

It is presumed that tool users will access the university’s central datamart (RPTP, rptp.alaska.edu) so all new users must complete the training available from your Campus Data Security Coordinator.

Initiate contact with a data Security Coordinator using the pick-list at the following page listed below:

If this is not the case then obtain the tool by directly contacting the OIT Support Center.

Software license compliance is achieved through software use monitoring so connection to the university’s network, either from on Campus or through the VPN, is required to use the tool.

The network location for shared queries is at the following path; we recommend you map this location to your computer as a network drive. The installer for the most current verison of the tool is also located in a folder at this location:

sw-bluewhale.apps.ad.alaska.eduToadQueries

Availability

After installation tool use is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, and 365 days per year. As they become available the university will provide the most current release of the tool. To upgrade re-run the installer.

Getting Help

Users of this tool support one another using the ua-adhocdatabrowser-team@alaska.edu email list. To subscribe, submit your request and email address to the Ad Hoc Data Browser Team.

Customers request general assistance and report problems with this service through the OIT Support Center.

Ad hoc reporting requires an understanding of data sources, data structures and their inter-relationships. For additional help users are encouraged to contact their regional Institutional Research Department to take a deeper dive.

The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution.
This site is maintained by OIT. For questions or concerns, please contact the OIT Support Center.
For questions or comments regarding this page, contact helpdesk@alaska.edu.